Coffee
by eccentric indeed
Summary: And so there, an arm away from me on a bench, in a park, in the middle of Merlin knows where, was Hermione Granger. The surprised look on her face suggested that I was the least likely person she expected to be seated beside her in this lovely Friday afternoon in this hidden part of the park. But we all know fate likes to play with everyone, and this time its us.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Obviously.**

**A/N:** Another Dramione fic. The plot was a recurring dream I had and I decided to share it in a form of a story. I hope you would enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing this. I would also love if you would take a moment to read my other Dramione story, entitled, A Ferret In Love. Reviews for both stories will be very much appreciated. Thanks!

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**Coffee?**

Do you ever think that all things happen for a reason?

You lose somebody, so you would know how to be strong without them. You get happiness when you have struggled for so long. You fall in love, so you'll get used to being hurt all the time. It all happens for a reason, don't you see?

I accepted coffee from a stranger, and I learned the value of love and life.

It all started on the day I ran away from my own wedding.

In 30 minutes, I was to be wed with Astoria Greengrass, the only daughter of a family friend. A Pureblood who was beautiful and vain and certainly not my type. A marriage was arranged between us to keep the lineage pure. I mean, I would love to keep it pure, but I sure don't want to spend the rest of my life with someone who I barely know and, love. Cold-hearted I may be; it wouldn't really hurt to at least wish for someone I could love truly.

I told my parents about this predicament and they all but sneered. "Keep the bloodline pure Draco. That is why we are doing this! This is important!"

And that was when I realized why most of the pureblood families weren't so happy with their lives even though they bathe in riches and fame, they don't know what love is. And not knowing about what love proves that you know nothing about everything.

So basically, I don't really know about anything.

So there I was in my room, writing a short note to be given to my parents. I asked our house elves to hand it to them at the ceremony, and I got past the house enchantments and apparated to Merlin knows where.

I ended up at the back of a very old building. The dumpster reeked of last night's dinner and the stray dogs were frolicking in the bins trying to search for food. I quickly changed my tux into a simple muggle outfit, pants and a plaid buttoned up shirt, then I exited the alley to look at the place in which I have apparated.

I looked around and I could only see a peaceful street. Many were strolling, some were biking and others were having their afternoon jogs. To my left was quaint flower shop where the keeper was helping a young man choose flowers for, probably, his girlfriend. He was torn between sunflowers and tulips. I think he should get the sunflowers. I mean, if it was me I would go with sunflowers. To my right was an old bookshop, with the sign in the shape of parchment saying, Crumpled Parchments. A smile crept into my face as I breathed in the smell of old books. I have always loved the smell of it. So I ventured and I walked to my right, past the Crumpled Parchments to a small café beside it. Across from that establishment was a park. It was a big park I tell you, but you could only see a handful of people sitting on benches and feeding the birds on the lake.

Before I realized it, I was unconsciously walking towards the park's main entrance. I didn't know what it was, but something made me feel that I should be there. I entered the park where I was first met with a small lake, where cat tails and water lilies floated. Ducks quacked here and there and several doves flocked together as an old couple fed them crumbs.

I walked past that to a tunnel of vines and shrubbery. It was a long tunnel. I wondered where it would take me and it didn't take so long as I got a glimpse of what this seemingly simple park was hiding.

The first thing I saw was trees. And there were a lot of them, and they were huge. The next thing I saw was the four people in the area.

There was the park caretaker under one of the huge trees, raking the sunset colored leaves that continued to fall like snowflakes in winter.

Then there was this plump woman who had five different dogs on one arm and another five on the other. The ten dogs were dragging her to the nearest tree where they barked at squirrels that sat atop of it and ate their nuts.

On the farther side of the park, a teenager with long, lavender hair lay on the grass, her arms covered by her long sleeved blouse, her hair scattered up on one side. She would close her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, and then she'd open them and smile at something. The bags under her eyes told something else though. Her smiles were fake.

That was three. The fourth one was a woman of my age sitting on the only bench that was present. She was wearing a red sweater and her brown hair was tucked inside her bonnet. A book was propped up on her knee and she held a cup of steaming coffee in one hand.

I had no choice really, I just wanted some time alone and I know this four people won't disturb my want of solitude. Knowing there was nowhere else to sit, I walked briskly to the bench and sat an arm away from the girl.

As I sat, her head jerked up and I knew she felt my presence. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye and saw her relax a bit and then went back to reading. I sighed and thanked Merlin for the silence. I needed this and not those stupid interviews for the papers who kept on intruding my private life. I just needed complete silence so –

"Coffee?"

I jumped as I heard her speak. It was firm but lovely to hear. I turned to her, whose hand was outstretched holding the cup of coffee, but her eyes glued to page 245 on this worn out book written by Anthony Kimbler.

Now I don't really accept things from strangers that I had just sat with for at least 10 seconds. But I took the coffee and drank it.

"Thank you." I said, speaking to her for the first time. She nodded then immediately froze. My eyebrows furrowed as she stopped reading and turned her head towards me. And boy did I get the surprise of a lifetime.

And so there, an arm away from me on a bench, in a park, in the middle of Merlin knows where, was Hermione Granger. The surprised look on her face suggested that I was the least likely person she expected to be seated beside her in this lovely Friday afternoon in this hidden part of the park.

Well my expression was close to hers with a touch of curiosity. What is Granger doing here of all places? We continued to stare at each other for a few minutes before she broke off and said, "Do you like the coffee, Malfoy?" She inquired with a tone that almost sounded like she was being friendly. This was not normal.

Now, I would have done something really rude at a time like this, like maybe, calling her a Mudblood or chucking this coffee at her. But I didn't think that was good idea, I mean, we haven't seen each other in 5 years and I don't think hurting her is the best way to greet an old enemy.

And besides, I don't have time to act so immature and think about old rivalries. I have learned to do what is right long ago, and I'm not ruining my good streak just to annoy the heck out of Granger.

I took another sip from the coffee and nodded. "Yeah, its…good." She nodded in return and went back to her book. I watched her intently as she swiftly read the words, her eyes darting really fast, alight with happiness as she held another door to a new adventure. I admired how Granger was so in love with books. I too loved books with a passion and seeing someone else having the same passion with it, regardless of the enmity, is something I like watching.

And so for the past five minutes, that was what I did. I sipped coffee, and watched as she read intently not letting anything distract her. I felt calm watching her be calm. Then I threw a tired look and hung my head on top of the bench my eyes closed as I enjoyed the silence.

My thoughts went to the wedding I should have been in two hours ago. It must be in chaos there. I could imagine Astoria bawling her eyes out, wondering where in the world was the man she was supposed to marry. My parents, as expected will be furious, and must already be hiring half of the Aurors to look for me. But I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from everything, from work, from my messy family, from this stupid wedding, from this crazy life.

But every time I try to get away from it, it always finds me and haunts me back. I'm just sick of this. It's so, ugh, just –

I sighed deeply, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. I looked back at Granger and saw her closing her book, placing a maroon bookmark on page 350 and placing it into her rucksack. Was she about to leave?

I was wrong though. She remained seated for a few minutes, staring off a distance and I just waited for her to say something.

Suddenly, she turned to me and in a patient voice she simply said, "Care to tell me what's bothering you Malfoy?"

I just stared at her for a good 30 seconds before I looked around confusedly and said, "Who are you?"

She looked surprised and stared weirdly at me. "Hermione Granger. Obviously." I raised my eyebrows in response, not believing her at all. "Are you sure?"

Here's the thing, she laughed. She actually laughed as I doubted her identity. This woman is absolutely bonkers. She quieted down eventually and told me, "Good heavens Malfoy, we just haven't seen each other for five years and you have already forgotten who I am."

I rolled my eyes. "You were acting un-Granger like." Her eyes lit up in amusement. "Oh? And what un-Granger like behavior did I show?"

"Well for one, you offered me coffee."

"And?"

"You were nice to me."

"Anything else?"

"You're actually giving a shit about my life."

She smirked at that and shook her head. "I'm always like this Malfoy." I stared at her incredulously. "Really, Granger? Because I don't really recall you being nice. I must be absent at all those times when you did your niceness."

She rolled her eyes. "Well what did you expect me to do then?" I threw her a look. "You would have killed me in a heartbeat."

She scrunched her nose. "That's not very nice."

"It's you." I commented offhandedly. She looked offended. "No it isn't! Honestly Malfoy, I'm not exactly a bitch."

I grinned inwardly, she was already annoyed. "You were." I shrugged.

Her eyes burned brighter. "Only to you and all the other jerks Merlin put in this world to piss us all off." I grinned wider at her red face. "Calm down Granger, I was just pointing out that I am completely surprised at this new and un-bitchy Granger beside me."

She sighed irritably then composed herself. "Enough of that. Now, tell me what's bothering you." Merlin, was she a determined lass. I sighed tiredly for the umpteenth time that day and turned to her.

"Listen Granger. You and I both know that I got a shitty life and I don't really appreciate other people poking their noses into it and knowing how shitty it is."

"Well judging from your shitty personality I can tell you have the shittiest life ever. Congratulations."

"Goddamit woman." And so I gave up to her stubbornness and started speaking. I can't believe I'm doing this, what the hell is wrong with me?

"I know you are already deluded, so stop talking to yourself. It makes me think you're crazier than I have assumed." She grinned, thinking she was already getting on my nerves. And she was. That bitch.

I sneered. "If you want me to tell you what's going on with the dump I call my life, I suggest you keep your sarcasm and annoying comments to yourself to avoid any kind of danger for the both of us."

She all but smirked at that and ushered me to go on.

I wanted to tell her that I just ran away from my own wedding this afternoon. But something held me back; telling me now is not the right time. I might freak her out and all. And besides I have to get my mind off that stupid wedding.

So I told her about my parents, about my relationship with them and how much I hate the way they treat me.

"They basically dictate my life. For the past 22 years I have been doing whatever their cold hearts desired. And I am sick of it."

"I have wasted what must have been a great childhood to beating the Chosen One and trying to put down everyone else to be on top. 'Cause that was what I was brought up to do. And that was something I'll never be able to let them live it down. They ruined my life."

My voice went hoarse and I stared at Granger who remained motionless beside me, eyes still staring off the distance. I'm glad she wasn't looking at me in pity, feeling awfully sorry for the misunderstood boy who just wants a happy family. She knows I hate that kind of crap.

She noticed my silence and turned her head to me. She threw me an inquiring look and ushered me to continue. I stared back. I have to keep talking? "Can't I just stop there?"

"Do you feel better yet?"

"No."

"Then keep talking."

And I did. I told her all about my awful childhood, where father would hurt me every time I did something he and mother disapproved of. I shared stories of my childhood, scarring, painful stories that helped me realize when I got older that I was never loved. As I finished my third story, I heard sniffing and I knew she was crying.

I thought about stopping but she told me not to before I could. The next thing I told her was about my struggle in my days at Hogwarts when they knew that I was in the same year as Harry Potter. Together we recalled all the times I have been a complete arse to him and Weasley and even to her. It felt kind of weird having the person you have hurt countless of times remind you what you had done that led to her being hurt.

I struggled in Hogwarts because my parents always expected me to be greater than the already great Harry Potter. And that was too much for an eleven year old child to handle. So I resulted to insulting the Boy-Who-Lived thinking it would put him down and bring me up. But it never worked. He rose higher than everyone else, my plans failing.

I ended the whole thing with a story that always brought me nightmares and would clearly explain my behavior towards muggle borns.

"You see Granger, when I was young, my mother and I would always go to the village where we buy stuff and she would let me go and play. And well, it was a muggle village although there were also some wizards around. For instance that old lady who sells candy in our place is a witch. She always gives free candy whenever me and my mum would come and buy sweets from her."

"Now, on one occasion that my mother went out to buy clothes, I snuck out of the store and went to the playground. And that was where I met Bianca. She was this little muggle girl who always had her hair in pigtails and who wore a locket with her parent's picture inside it. She was the quietest person in the playground. The children would run around screaming and she was just there looking at them. And on that day, I approached her and became her friend."

"She was wonderful person. She lost her parents when she was two and was living with her lovely grandparents. She was afraid to play with the other kids 'cause they kept shouting. She and her parents were in a car accident and the last thing she heard before she lost them was their screams of agony."

"It was painful listening to her story and that made me feel like I was supposed to protect her from the screaming kids. And that's what I did every time I came to the playground. We became the closest of friends and she was my first real friend. My first… and last."

"My father knew about this friendship with a muggle from a friend of his that saw me playing with her. The pureblood friend of his insulted our family and called us muggle lovers. Father was furious and one time when I went to see her I didn't realize that he followed me to Bianca's tree house."

I closed my eyes for a moment, reliving that horrible day. Granger was nervous about what would happen next and I doubted if I should still tell her what had happened next.

"Well, Granger, he saw me and Bianca playing and, and that was the first and last time I have ever heard her scream."

Granger gasped and the tears gushed out of her eyes not believing the horror that I have experienced. "They buried her beside her parents. Her grandparents were devastated thinking about how awful it was to have their granddaughter fall out of the tree house they built for her. But she never fell out of the tree house Granger. I was there when father did it."

"Up to this day, I still get nightmares, thinking about that moment. I would never forgive my father."

Granger wiped her face dry and I sighed in relief as I finished talking. She turned to me, her face red and puffy from crying too much. "Do you feel better now, Malfoy?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for listening, I really needed to let that out."

She smiled and bid me goodbye. She apparated as soon as I said goodbye in reply and she left me there feeling a lot better, but something else was still missing. I still need her. But I don't know where—

"Fridays, young man. She comes here every Friday at three. Same place, same bench. I'll see you next week."

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**A/N: I need you guys to tell me if I should continue this or if I should just light my computer on fire. Thank you :) Reviews would be greatly appreciated.**


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